Through the Cracks
by starlesslux
Summary: One trip can change a friendship forever. Pain can bring unforseen consequences. D/G mainly. (note: rating for later chapters, otherwise the beginning is rather pg13)
1. Chapter 1: A Lost Ribbon

Through the Cracks: Part 1  
  
A/N: Kind of long, and if I was doing a bigger scale, then I'd have done all the detail but anyway... D/G, R/Hr, and some H/C. Disclaimer: I don't own the characters, don't shoot me. ***  
  
She felt a pull at the ends of her hair. It was him. Again.  
  
It was always him.  
  
He had a habit of pulling at her long curls, just to get a rise out of her. She prayed that time would pass so she could leave and get rid of him.  
  
This time, he reached out, grasping the flame colored locks, and pulled hard. Ginny snapped her head around, glaring at Draco. He sat calmly, with her navy ribbon around his long fingers. She felt heat spread through her face, as his smirk broadened.  
  
She turned back around, trying to concentrate on the lesson. Her hair kept falling into her eyes, but at last the bell rang, sending a stir of echoes through her mind.  
  
She was going to meet Harry, Ron, and Hermione to get on the train for Hogsmeade. This was their last chance to visit before the Christmas holidays; She and Hermione had some gifts left to buy as well. Ginny had been planning on getting something special for Harry.  
  
'A surprise would be nice,' she thought.  
  
She stood up, gathering her books. She had a grin on her face and her eyes languidly clouded over. She didn't even notice as she moved toward the door, she had run into someone else. She had stumbled into Draco.  
  
His eyes were cold, nearly black, and his usually immaculate hair now fell into his face. His face displayed a look of surprise, but as Ginny snapped out of her dreamlike state, she found him glaring at her.  
  
"Watch where you're going, Weasley," he growled. His eyes softened for a half second, but then he turned sharply on his heel and strode out of the classroom. She watched him go, but then realized she wasn't looking at him, but at the dark clouds that hovered ominously over the castle.  
  
Ginny walked back up to Gryffindor Tower, clutching her books. She watched smiling faces rush past anticipating the trip. Ginny then quickened her pace and reached the portrait of the Fat Lady. With a quick "Fizzing Whizbee," she slipped up to the dormitory to get ready. She was going to meet Hermione in the common room shortly, so she hurriedly put her books on top of her bed, while searching her trunk for something moderately presentable.  
  
After slipping on some jeans and a navy sweater, she put her robe back on and went down to the Common Room. She was halfway down the stairs, when she saw Hermione sitting by the fireplace in a big squashy armchair. Her friend had really gone all-out for the occasion, well, for Hermione's standards anyway. She had on a long gray skirt and an ivory v-necked blouse under her school robes, and had her hair done quite nicely. Ginny wondered if she should put on some makeup or at least do something to her hair, but they would be late if she decided to now. She pulled out some chapstick and followed Hermione out the portrait hole, her wild hair flowing down her back.  
  
They met up with Ron and Harry and found a vacant carriage. Feeling the spider-like vehicles lurch, they sat down and relaxed as they began their journey to Hogsmeade.  
  
.tbc.  
  
a/n: alas, here we finally have a finished chapter in this story I've been meaning to write for ages. Tell me what you think, or just tell me something ( - ry 


	2. Chapter 2: Hidden

Through the Cracks: Part 2  
  
A/N: ok, since I didn't write a prologue or anything beforehand, I thought I'd add that Harry, Draco, Ron, and Hermione are 6th years, leaving Ginny as a 5th year. And I know this is slow going but I've had work and other things, but more will be up soon.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own the characters; don't chase me with pitchforks and mops. Mops scare me.  
  
***  
  
They met up with Ron and Harry and found a vacant carriage. Feeling the spider-like vehicles lurch, they sat down and relaxed as they began their journey to Hogsmeade.  
  
***  
  
The rain fell heavily; the inky black drops obscuring the view from the window. All Ginny could see was the blurred shadows of the trees that stood beyond the road. The atmosphere on the inside of the carriage, however, was quite warm and inviting. The flickering candles on the side of the coach cast an amber glow across the faces of the four students.  
  
Beside her, Hermione was engrossed in a copy of her Advanced Transfiguration book while persistently battling to keep her shoes on, despite Ron's efforts to steal them. She finally stood up, seized the book, and whopped him on the head with it, grinning. Ginny glanced over at Harry guardedly. He was smiling, telling Ron off, as Ginny's brother massaged the lump forming on his head.  
  
"I always wondered why Hermione carried around all those books," Harry added.  
  
Ron punched his arm. "Shove off, or she'll whack you too." Then he looked at Hermione. "C'mon love, maybe it'll knock some sense into him. Or at least raise the IQ a bit."  
  
Hermione rolled her eyes, and Ginny smiled. The boys then settled into a game of Exploding Snap as Hermione turned Harry's scarf into a tap-dancing rabbit. Ginny never had much to do on these lengthy trips, so she pulled out a notebook.  
  
She absentmindedly twirled her pencil in her left hand, wondering what she would do with the blank page before her. She could write something poetically deep, possibly tragic and filled with angst, or she could try her hand at sketching. She waved her hand back and forth, willing inspiration. With a resigned sigh, she closed her eyes and gave up. Quite unexpectedly a face flashed in her mind; a face with fair skin and silver eyes.  
  
She pushed the thought aside, focusing on Harry, on the asymmetry of his ears, and how when he smiled, you could see how his teeth were a bit crooked, giving him an endearing look about him. She also loved the small patch of freckles that were always noticeable after he'd been in the sun too long. Apparently she must've dozed off because soon Hermione shook her arm.  
  
"C'mon Gin, We're here. Don't want to waste our shopping time sleeping in here." Ginny slid her notebook back in her bag, trying not to blush as Harry held the carriage door open for her. Ron and Hermione walked beside her and Harry, hand in hand.  
  
Passing the Apothecary, Ginny and Hermione promised to meet up with the boys later and they walked over to the window of Gladrags Wizardwear. The gray clouds threatened to unleash a torrent of either rain or snow fairly soon, so the pair exchanged excited glances and quickly rushed into the dimly lit store.  
  
There was a pleasant witch sitting behind the counter and an infinite number of aisles filled with formalwear. Ginny felt the fine silk gowns and gave a sharp intake of breath once flipping over the price tags. She moved over to a row of more moderately priced, yet wonderful dresses. She deliberated over three very different choices, while Hermione slipped into a dressing room.  
  
Hermione emerged from behind the door positively radiant. She had chosen a silken bottle green colored gown that suited her perfectly. Ginny smiled. "I'm sure my brother will be completely floored, Mione."  
  
With a delighted grin, Hermione spun around, the dress slinking with her, resting in a bell shape. Ginny gave a nod and she rushed back into the room to change back into her robes.  
  
'Now all I've got to do is find a dress that I can afford and isn't awfully embarrassing,' Ginny thought.  
  
She rummaged through a few frightening neon dresses and then settled into the more demure, darker hued gowns. She held up a deep navy dress made of soft velvet. She shrugged and retreated to the dressing rooms. Hermione had reappeared near the front of the store, paying for her dress. Then she noticed Ginny was standing before the mirrors by the windows, dressed in an absolutely beautiful gown.  
  
Hermione rushed over with her bags to give her friend a closer look. Upon inspection, she discovered that in fact the dress was rather simple, yet it looked amazing on Ginny. The cut of the dress was also quite elementary, a clean wide V, resting low on Ginny's shoulders. It accentuated her narrow waist and didn't make her seem too tall, though she was now taller than Hermione herself. Ginny's hair fell into place, framing her face, completing the striking ensemble.  
  
'Ron wouldn't be too upset with this one. It's not terribly low cut. Of course, he wouldn't be happy if she wore a full-body tarp and snow boots,' Hermione thought with a laugh.  
  
"I think this is it, Mione. What do you think?" Ginny's eyes were bright as she fought to keep from smiling.  
  
"Now, do you really want to know what I think about the dress, or what I think Harry would say?"  
  
Ginny blushed. "Well, that could be quite useful as well. Though, I'd really love your opinion."  
  
Hermione surveyed her friend. "You'll knock him dead. Really, we might have to 'enervate' him a few times. And I do think you look positively stunning. No pun intended"  
  
Ginny smiled once more and gave a small laugh. "Really? You think he'll like it?" She paused. "Well, not that his opinion's all that matters, but I do want to look nice."  
  
"Really, Gin, I think he'll love it. As will a fair number of other guys." She emphasized other guys as often as she could. Hermione had tried to encourage Ginny to spread her focus out to other boys in the school, because she knew that Harry could be quite oblivious sometimes. 'Sometimes. Hmph,' she thought. 'You could put a blue monkey wearing lime green spandex on his head and scream 'Fire', and he wouldn't budge.' But Hermione wasn't going to tell Ginny this; she didn't want to ruin her enthusiasm.  
  
Ginny surveyed herself once more, trying to fix her hair. She didn't notice the shadow just outside the window, watching her through the frosted glass.  
  
--- A young man with flaxen hair had ventured through the light snowfall, setting out for the Three Broomsticks when something had caught his eye. He shivered as he walked towards Gladrags, peering through the clouded storefront. He wiped a spot clean on the glass and peered in. He saw a girl about his age trying on a gown. More importantly, his eyes were fixed on the silver locket around her neck. Seeing the necklace stirred something inside of him. He looked away for a moment, but found it hard to avert his attention. He recognized the girl. Her lithe build and long scarlet curls gave her away. It was Ginny Weasley.  
  
He quickly withdrew from the open walk in front of the store as he noticed she was about to exit with another familiar face. Hermione Granger. Draco hurriedly turned into the alleyway between Gladrags and the Solaris Astronomy Offices. He was flushed and slightly perturbed as he nearly ran through the alley towards the Three Broomsticks. He ducked into the building out of breath. The warmth of the fire didn't quite reach him as he took a seat at the bar. ---  
  
.tbc again.  
  
A/N: ahhhh. Never ever let me write at 2am ever again. I've revised to no end, and yet I'm still finding errors. Aghh. and I hate writing filler. But let me know what you think. Suggestions are quite welcome. As you can tell I'm pretty awful with dialogue. But that's ok, it should get better in time, or that's how the theory goes. - ry 


	3. Chapter 3: Over a Drink

Through the Cracks: Part 3  
  
Chapter 3  
  
A/N: FF.Net was being mean to me, and wouldn't let me correct this last bit of the previous chapter... and thanks to everyone who reviewed!  
  
Disclaimer: Once again, not mine. No mops. Or brooms.  
  
*** Ginny surveyed herself once more, trying to fix her hair. She didn't notice the shadow just outside the window, watching her through the frosted glass.  
  
---  
  
A young man with flaxen hair had ventured through the light snowfall, setting out for the Three Broomsticks when something had caught his eye. He shivered as he walked towards Gladrags, peering through the clouded storefront. He wiped a spot clean on the glass and peered in. He saw a girl about his age trying on a gown. More importantly, his eyes were fixed on the silver locket around her neck. Seeing the necklace stirred something inside of him. He looked away for a moment, but found it hard to avert his attention. He recognized the girl. Her lithe build and long scarlet curls gave her away. It was Ginny Weasley.  
  
He quickly withdrew from the open walk in front of the store as he noticed she was about to exit with another familiar face. Hermione Granger. Draco hurriedly turned into the alleyway between Gladrags and the Solaris Astronomy Offices. He was flushed and slightly perturbed as he nearly ran through the alley towards the Three Broomsticks. He ducked into the building out of breath. The warmth of the fire didn't quite reach him as he took a seat at the bar.  
  
***  
  
Once she had paid for her new gown, Ginny pulled her school robes back on over her jeans and sweater. She and Hermione knew it was getting late; Harry and Ron were probably already waiting for them. Careful not to slip on the frozen ground, the girls made their way towards the Three Broomsticks.  
  
---  
  
Draco ordered a drink. Madam Rosmerta slid a mug of butterbeer down the bar, peering at Draco with a worried look. He was hunched over the bar with his head in his hands.  
  
"Why the long face there, love?" Draco appreciated her concern, but had no intention of even beginning to explain.  
  
"It's nothing really."  
  
"Is it girl trouble? Of course, I wouldn't expect you to have any trouble with the ladies, with your being such a fine-looking young man." She gave him a peculiar, yet still pleasant look. "Or is it guy trouble?" Draco was horrified. He nearly jumped out of his skin.  
  
"NO! No! Not guy or girl trouble. No trouble. Really. It's okay. Thanks for the drink."  
  
His voice was rough and his throat was beginning to ache. Shaking his head, he took a sip of the warm beer. Almost instantly, the heat spread through his throat, placating the sting. He reached into his pocket, pulling out a handful of gold and a navy hair ribbon. Madame Rosmerta looked slightly taken aback as she retrieved the gold and moved down to the opposite end of the bar, taking the order of an older gentleman.  
  
He stared at the smooth satin fabric of the ribbon; how it reflected the dim light and seemed to glow. He ran his index finger along the shape, and then placed it back into his pocket. Once more, he rested his head into his hands, elbows propped up on the hard wood counter.  
  
Seeing Ginny Weasley wearing that necklace chilled him to the bone. He had seen it somewhere before, hanging in the air. Then he remembered. It had once been his mother's necklace. She had told him about it years ago; how it had once belonged to her mother. She also had shown him the two black and white photographs that moved inside the locket, of her mother and herself. The pictures portrayed the two women with fair hair and light eyes, grinning timidly at the camera. The last time he had seen the necklace was the night his mother died.  
  
~~ She had called him to her room, which had been furnished in dark ebony furniture and jade green tapestries. She beckoned her son to sit beside her on her bed. Pushing aside her long white blonde hair, she reached around her neck, and presented him with the silver locket.  
  
"Draco, I want you to keep this with you always." She pressed it into his hand. "That way, I'll always be with you, no matter what." Her hand closed around his, and she brushed the tears from his bright silver eyes. She smoothed his hair and had smiled faintly.  
  
Then his father had walked into the room, as usual quite formidable in his flowing black robes and ever present scowl. He peered at them, grimacing at his wife's compassion, and his son's tears. He saw it as their greatest weakness, far more detrimental than her unavoidable passing away.  
  
"Draco. Go." His father had sternly commanded him to leave. He hadn't wanted to, he would have never left his mother. Lucius jerked his son away from Narcissa, his hands bruising the small boy. He tore the locket from his son's small hands. "Give me that," he growled. "Now, Draco." Lucius had spit out Draco's name as if it were a disgusting word.  
  
He had cried out in pain as his father pushed him out into the dark corridor. Left alone, he had sunk to the stone floor, knowing not whether to cry out or run away. ~~  
  
He never saw his mother after that, his only memory of the necklace had been faint, yet he was sure that it was the very same he had seen earlier that night.  
  
Draco snapped out of his reverie as the door to the Three Broomsticks opened. The echo of the bell tinkled softly through the tavern. He looked up at the four snow-laden figures and immediately recognized them.  
  
Ron and Hermione were smiling at each other as she caught him off guard and hit him with her book again. They picked a booth and settled in. Shortly after them, Potter and Ginny slid in on the opposite side. Draco grimaced at the sight of Potter, and turned back to his butterbeer, mulling over his thoughts.  
  
---  
  
Ginny's face was flushed red and she was quite breathless as the group stumbled into the booth. Hermione was brushing snow off of Ron's nose and Harry was defrosting his glasses.  
  
He shook his head, "You know, Gin, you really do have good aim. Ever consider being a Chaser?" He put his glasses back on, and his green eyes sparkled.  
  
"And you would have me throw snowballs at the goalposts, wouldn't you?"  
  
"If it got the job done. And I believe it would," he stopped to rub his jaw that appeared to be quite red. "As the temperature and speed of impact would knock them right off their brooms."  
  
Madame Rosmerta dropped them a round of piping hot butterbeer to warm them up. They all drank deeply, concentrating on pulling all of the drink's warmth into their bodies.  
  
"So what are you two going to do for dancing partners at the Ball tomorrow night?" Ron raised an eyebrow. Everyone knew about Ginny's infatuation for Harry; this fact alone made Ginny blush a brilliant red color.  
  
Harry shrugged pleasantly. "I really don't know yet, but right now I'm just set on holding off the mobs. Lately they've been layering on so much perfume, I think I'm about to suffocate every time I'm in their vicinity." He looked kind of distraught about the whole thing, but still in good- humor.  
  
Ginny noticed Hermione was making a pointed head motion towards Harry. Ginny tossed her hair, trying to avoid eye contact as Hermione had no subtlety in this matter, and Ron was now staring at her curiously.  
  
"What about you, Ginny? Are you going with anyone special?" Her brother always seemed to delight in watching her fidget in embarrassment.  
  
She cleared her throat. She heard the entrance doorbell ring as someone exited the tavern. "Actually, I don't have a date yet. And unlike Harry, I don't have to avoid perfumed mobs."  
  
"Oh C'mon Ginny, you must have guys lined up around the block to ask you to the Ball." Harry's hair was sticking up again, making Ginny want to reach out and fix it.  
  
Turning the color of a ripe raspberry, she shook her head and mumbled a barely inaudible response. "Not really." She turned away from his gaze, staring out the window. She found another pair of eyes staring back from the street corner. 


	4. Chapter 4: Great Expectations

Through the Cracks: Part 4 Chapter 4: Great Expectations  
  
Disclaimer: yeah yeah.. I don't own them.  
  
***  
  
Turning the color of a ripe raspberry, she shook her head and mumbled a barely inaudible response. "Not really." She turned away from his gaze, staring out the window. She found another pair of eyes staring back from the street corner.  
  
***  
  
Ginny recognized the lone figure on the sidewalk, and she knew all too well the glint in his immaculate gray eyes. Her eyes were wide and she quickly turned away from the window. She felt almost sick. Her head throbbed and she was feeling rather dizzy.  
  
"Gin, you feeling alright? You look kinda.well. bad." Ginny knew that Ron always meant well, even when his vocabulary was lacking. It took her a while to calm down, the drum of her heartbeat was slowly calming, but the feeling didn't recede quite as easily. She couldn't quite place the feeling, but it was fairly evident that it was going to stick around for a while.  
  
"Yeah. I'll be ok." She took a breath. "Can we . Can we go? Do you think? Maybe?" She mumbled on into silence. Hermione looked at Ginny, then at Ron and Harry, and then back to Ginny.  
  
"Yeah, Gin, we can go." Ginny realized that the three of them were giving her very peculiar looks. She rose from the booth, and all but threw herself through the door, leaving the others to catch up with her. The cold air hit Ginny full on; it stung as it filled her lungs. She shivered as a few stray snowflakes crowned her ringlets. She heard the hard crunch of snow behind her, as Harry appeared. Ron and Hermione were ambling along a ways behind him.  
  
"You sure you're all right Ginny?" Harry was still pulling on his cloak. His fingertips slipped on the silver fastening several times before he got it clasped. She smiled weakly and was suddenly overcome with another wave of vertigo.  
  
"I'm feeling a lot better actually." She felt the earth move under her feet and sudden cold spread through her veins. "I'll just need to sit down for a bit." She felt her knees buckle just as she collapsed onto the nearest hard surface, which happened to be an enchanted fountain of Artemis bewitched to constantly spout miniature glowing bubbles. Harry grinned his crooked smile, not sure whether he should be worried.  
  
Ginny took another deep breath and focused on the glossy green bubbles that were hovering around her elbow. Harry had sat down next to her, and she was trying furiously to keep from blushing, although in this weather it was hard to decipher from frostbite. Hermione came rushing up, dragging Ron along behind her. Her nose was scarlet from the cold, and it seemed that Ron was slowly becoming a single shade of red.  
  
"Everything a'ight Gin?" Ron seemed perhaps a bit punch drunk-or it was Ginny's impression that he was. She nodded. She was about to say something, she hadn't figured out what yet, when Harry interrupted her.  
  
"-Why don't you guys go and save a carriage for us, I'm just gonna wait with Gin until she's feelin' a bit better." An odd feeling struck Ginny. She didn't want Harry to stay. To him, she'd always be an obligation as Ron's little sister. She furrowed her eyebrow in protest.  
  
"I'm feeling quite well, actually. Just got a bit dizzy." Her remark was laced with contempt as she regained composure. Ginny stood up, glaring at Harry; she did not want to be deemed invalid by anyone, especially him. Gathering her strength, she began to walk once more, leaving Harry, Ron, and Hermione to catch up.  
  
Which they did. Harry trotted along beside her. With his big green eyes and shaggy hair, he reminded Ginny intensely of a puppy whose paws were still a bit big for it's body.  
  
"Hey Gin, I didn't mean it like that." He hesitated. "D'you think I could talk to you for a minute?"  
  
"And what would you call this?" Hermione looked at Ginny with surprise. To her it seemed that Ginny was being spiteful. For a moment, Ginny reminded her of.No. Hermione was not going to compare one of her closest friends to someone who reveled in making a mockery out of Harry, purely for entertainment. But that's exactly what it seemed Ginny was doing.  
  
"I mean, could we talk, somewhere? In private?" Harry's eyes were pleading. He looked at Hermione in confusion, and then turned back to face Ginny.  
  
Ginny shrugged. She wondered how Harry liked to be treated like he didn't exist. She knew about how the Muggles had treated him, he had spoke of it on a rare occasion. She also was quite aware of how his head had inflated quite a bit. With his still persistent, and never wavering level of fame, Harry was usually so humble, but not lately; not with hundreds of girls willing to do anything to go to the ball with him.  
  
"I don't know why not." Ginny wrapped her finger around one of her rogue curls, tugging at it offhandedly.  
  
Harry had stopped trudging through the slush, as did Ginny. Ron had his arm around Hermione, and they continued onward. Ron glanced over Hermione's shoulder at Harry. Even if he was his best friend, Ron was still quite protective of his little sister. Hermione urged him to quit eavesdropping and pulled him along towards the seemingly endless line of carriages.  
  
"Listen, Ginny, I was wondering.seeing as how both of us .well, neither of us have." He was fidgeting with the hem of his sleeve. "Would you like to, well .would you consider?" He coughed nervously and dug his heel in the snow. Ginny smiled. The infallible Harry Potter was at a loss for words.  
  
Ginny couldn't waste a golden opportunity like this. "Would I consider?" She mocked puzzlement with a sly grin on her face. Harry laughed and finally turned his gaze from the sleeve to Ginny.  
  
"Obviously I've been going about this all wrong," he said taking a deep breath. "Ok. Ginny. Wannagototheballwithme?" He exhaled quickly.  
  
"Excuse me?" It sounded like Harry had been speaking a foreign language- Gibberish perhaps.  
  
In an odd detached voice, he responded. "Ginny, Would you be my date for the ball tomorrow night?" As an afterthought he added, "And advise any and all of your brothers not to kill me on sight?"  
  
She smiled. Harry had a double threat going for him. Since Charlie had acquired a position as Assistant Gamekeeper, and Ron had always exercised his persistent position of Primary Sister-Keeper, Harry would have an interesting conversation or two with them both.  
  
"Yes, Harry. Sounds lovely." An awkward silence enveloped the tension between the two of them. Harry flashed a smile, exposing his pearly whites. Ginny noted that he probably used that kind of smile for the countless, and unexpected photo shoots from tourists and Witch Weekly photographers.  
  
"All right then. Well I suppose, we should be going. It's getting rather late." His voice was rough, as if he had swallowed a frog. Ginny nodded and the pair followed the now barely visible footprints towards the carriages.  
  
---  
  
Draco had been hoping for a carriage all to himself when he was shoved into a coach with Malcolm Baddock, Blaise Zabini and Pansy Parkinson. Blaise and Pansy sat in the opposite seat, twittering incessantly about nothing. Malcolm's eyes were closed; he was dead asleep.  
  
'Stupid Git,' thought Draco. 'He's been dumb enough to be bored to death by these two ninnies. He should've invested in some earmuffs. I think a nice pink frilly pair would suit him well. I would opt for a nice black pair myself. And bloody hell, if Pansy puts on any more perfume I think I may throw her to the Blast Ended Skrewts myself.' He settled into his seat, closing his own eyes and trying to block out the brainless chatter.  
  
He knew Ginny Weasley had seen him outside the window of the Three Broomsticks, and to tell the truth, he hadn't cared much. The first thought that had crossed his mind was as to how she had come by his mother's necklace. By her having something that he wanted, she held leverage over him, even without her knowing it. The second thought that came to his mind was of a few lazy snowflakes still lingering on her cheek, mixing in sharp contrast to her freckles. And how.Draco stopped himself. If he was going to concentrate on the important matter of how to retrieve the necklace from Weasley, he couldn't be thinking about all of her freckles. In the back of his mind he knew that he had to get it back, it wasn't necessarily a conscious decision, it was engrained into his mind. And the fact that she had exactly 53 freckles scattered across her flawless cheekbones was not important. 54, he had forgotten the one in the corner of her left eye.  
  
'Goddammit, Draco, get a hold on yourself.' Internally he kicked himself, as he usually did, his psyche gave him a black eye as well, for dwelling on the precise number of freckles the girl had. 'This is going to take some more thought.' He engrossed himself in his mind, trying to block out Ginny's face in his mind's eye. If he was going to get back a part of his mother, he would have to ignore the fact that he obviously found her attractive, and that he knew she had freckles in the constellation of Leo on the back of her neck. Yes, he had to forget the freckles. No matter how appealing he found them.  
  
---  
  
Ginny watched the snow tear past the windows. Ron had started to snore lightly after he beat Harry at a game of wizard's chess. Of course, Harry had begun snoring halfway through the game, but after being kicked in the shin by Ron, he had been able to hold off sleep until the game had finished. With the two males -Ginny didn't want to call them Alpha males, they were more like. well, she didn't know, but they definitely weren't Alpha-sound asleep, Hermione had produced a book from her bag and was now grossly absorbed into the hidden meanings of Stonehenge or something of that nature. This left Ginny with nobody to talk to, and she wasn't exactly inspired to attempt a sketch at the moment. The candelabras in the carriage were nearly extinguished, and only a sliver of moonlight lit the path of the coach.  
  
Ginny reviewed the night's events. 'Nothing too special,' she thought. 'Now I have a dress and a date for the ball.' In the back of her mind, she felt a bittersweet pang, and a sinking feeling. This was what she had wanted for six years, she had wanted Harry to see her as more than Ron's little sister, constantly in need of rescue from a 16-year-old Tom Riddle and big fangy snakes. 'Now at least,' her line of thought continued, "I don't have to follow him around, begging for his attention.' Then she felt alarmingly smug. She knew of about 400 other girls who would have died to be her in this instant.  
  
Then, disregarding her schoolgirl fantasies, she paused for a moment. 'If this is what I've always wanted, then why doesn't it seem to matter anymore?'  
  
Ginny closed her eyes and rested her head against the chill of the glass, letting the rock of the carriage lull her to sleep.  
  
A/N: viola! Another chapter completed and It's finally getting easier to attempt filler. I've got angst on a silver platter coming up, so please review and let me know any suggestions, whatsoever. And no, Draco's not going to be the sensitive-inner songwriter-type, this was just momentary relapse. Also, I think Malcolm's last name is Baddock, anyone know for sure?  
  
Alrighty, enough rambling on my part, I'll just stop now. Yes. Now. * ahem* - ry 


	5. Chapter 5: Standing on Frozen Ground

Through the Cracks: Part 5 Chapter 5: Standing on Frozen Ground  
  
A/N: anyway, my writing's rather ...unique. I actually wrote this the day after I posted the last chapter, but due to storms and various other reasons, it never posted. So enjoy one of the shameless excuses to get Draco in a shower.  
  
Disclaimer: nope, sadly they're still not mine.  
  
***  
  
Then, disregarding her schoolgirl fantasies, she paused for a moment. 'If this is what I've always wanted, then why doesn't it seem to matter anymore?'  
  
Ginny closed her eyes and rested her head against the chill of the glass, letting the rock of the carriage lull her to sleep.  
  
***  
  
Hermione gently woke Ginny up once they arrived back at the castle. Ginny stretched her arms over her head with a yawn; She was stiff from sleeping against the window. The four of them all sleepily brushed against the walls and statues as they made their way back to Gryffindor Tower. Hermione kissed Ron on the cheek and she and Ginny both said their goodnights. The two girls parted halfway up the set of steps, going their separate routes to their dorms. Ginny was tired, but her mind didn't want to stop racing. She felt more awake than she had earlier, and her brief nap on the ride back replenished her energy. She silently crept across the hardwood flooring, and sat on the edge of her bed. She didn't undress or even bother to remove her shoes. Instead, she stood back up and left the room. She made her way to the 6th year girls' dormitory.  
  
She found Hermione already asleep, tucked in her bed, snoring lightly. She hated to interrupt her friend's dream, but she needed a favor.  
  
"Please, Mione, wake up," Ginny jostled her arm.  
  
"Mmm, What is it Gin?" she grumbled, turning to face her friend.  
  
"I need a favor."  
  
At this, Hermione sat up with a curious disposition. "What kind of favor?"  
  
"Oh, nothing big. I just remembered that you still had Harry's Invisibility Cloak from start of term and I was wondering . . ." Hermione raised an eyebrow, but Ginny continued. "I was wondering if I could maybe borrow it for maybe half an hour?"  
  
"Ginny, are you suggesting that as a prefect I would allow you to go wandering the corridors alone, at night, invisible? Able to do Merlin-knows- what? Probably with some young reprobate who wears a black dragon hide jacket and has a tattoo?" Hermione sounded stern, but something about the way she said it egged Ginny on.  
  
"Well, yes. Oh, it's not like I'm going to do anything illegal. Although I wouldn't completely say no to the young reprobate wearing a black dragon hide jacket. I just want to take a walk to clear my head and what not, without fear of being sent to detention. And I'm not as stupid as Harry was a few months ago; I'm not going to be caught asleep on the Quidditch pitch in my underwear." Ginny looked hopeful. Hermione threw back her covers, getting out of bed. As she rummaged through her trunk she managed to whisper, however relatively loud, to Ginny that if she were caught, she was to disavow any knowledge of whom the cloak belonged to. Ginny nodded and pulled the hood down over her head.  
  
"Thanks Mione, I'll bring it back soon," she murmured as she padded down the stone stairs through the portrait of the Fat Lady.  
  
---  
  
Draco hadn't been able to escape to his bedroom without being cornered by Pansy. She had backed him up against a chair in the common room and tried to sit on his lap, trying to showcase her attributes to him, or lack thereof. In fact, she only succeeded in repulsing him as she smothered him, fussing over him and mussing his hair. She wouldn't let him go until he had promised to escort her to the Ball the following evening. Then he had staggered into his room, trying to repair his mangled hair with a disgruntled expression on his face.  
  
He walked in circles around his bed and after several attempts to fix his hair; he gave up and changed out of his rumpled clothes. He threw on a pair of emerald sweatpants, a gray hooded sweatshirt and slipped on some running shoes. He had decided that since he couldn't sleep anyway, he might as well put his time to use. Draco had gotten permission from Professor Snape to run late at night during the school year, thus exempting him from punishment for breaking student curfew. He ascended the staircase at the far end of the dungeons, which led him out onto the castle grounds. Draco observed the stillness of the night for a moment, taking in his surroundings. Then, he began to jog at a moderate pace. The steady rhythm of his feet meeting with the frozen ground was uneven to the pulse of his heartbeat, creating an intricate cadence of two different drums. The noise put Draco at ease. He followed the path around the lake, observing the frost that had collected on the trees and the soft crunch of ice as the frigid water lapped against the bank.  
  
---  
  
Ginny had been climbing for a while. After a brief run-in with Mrs. Norris, she had quickened her pace as she padded along the dark hallways. Now she was almost to her destination. The stairs seemed almost endless, curving around until finally Ginny had reached the Astronomy Tower.  
  
Most students used the tower for lewd acts that were definitely not approved of by faculty, but owing to the great length at which one must travel to get to the tower, most of the staff rarely bothered to disturb the students. Ginny was not like most of the kids her age, beside the fact that she didn't exactly have a boyfriend, she didn't just carelessly make out in Astronomy Towers every night. Also, it was rather cold to be meeting at the top of a tower.  
  
Shrugging off the cloak, she surveyed the empty room at the top of the stairs, and then walked towards the side of the tower that was the most interior. There was an imprint of Orion's belt along the doorway. Ginny pressed the indentation, and a small door opened leading upward.  
  
The top of the turret was dusted in snow. Ginny climbed over to a relatively flat part of the roof, clearing a seat in the midst of the snowfall. She looked out upon the grounds, covered in a blanket of white. The air smelled like there would be more snow on the way; it was cold and nipped at the edges of her eyes. Looking at the sky, she could barely see the stars for the heavy clouds obscuring the view. Concentrating her focus on more earthly bodies, she noticed someone down by the lake. If not for his dark clothing, he would have blended in quite magnificently with the scenery. She realized who the person was almost immediately; he was hard not to distinguish with his strikingly pale features.  
  
Ginny stood, brushing herself off. She shivered quite visibly and had lost the feeling in her toes. But it wasn't the cold that bothered her the most; it was the numb feeling that had spread through her heart. She pulled the Invisibility Cloak around her once more and started descending the stairs. She was wholly undetected on her return trip back to Gryffindor Tower. Slipping the Cloak back in the bottom of Hermione's trunk, Ginny climbed the stairs back to her bedroom.  
  
---  
  
Draco had made his way around the frozen lake five times before he'd even broke a sweat. After his seventh lap, he took a break and leaned up against a large tree. Catching his breath, he looked around him. It was deadly silent, yet the quiet was deafening to him, the emptiness ringing in his ears, piercing his thoughts. He heard a soft noise somewhere above him. He looked toward the East side of the castle, in the direction of the Astronomy Tower. He thought he saw a figure resting on the tower, but upon evaluation, he saw only the snow that covered the rooftop. He rubbed at the corners of his eyes and shook some excess snow from his hair. He must have been more worn out than he'd guessed because he was starting to hallucinate.  
  
Rubbing at the back of his neck, Draco plodded back towards the dungeons. Ice was starting to form on the ends of his damp hair as he reached the dormitories once more. He pulled out a pair of jade silk boxers and black fleece pants. Whisking his towel from the top of his trunk, he walked down the corridor towards the prefects' bathroom. It was striking for most to believe that Draco was smart enough to have been made a prefect in the first place, but in comparison to most of the Slytherins he was well above average. He turned on the water in the marble shower and disrobed. As he stepped into the shower, the water felt almost blisteringly hot against him. He watched his skin flush scarlet as the feeling slowly crept back into his body. He shut the water off, considerably warmer than he had when he had returned. The moonlight slinked in through the small window, casting an eerie glow throughout the ivory surfaces of the room.  
  
After pulling on his clothes, Draco draped the damp towel across his shoulder and ambled back to his room. Dropping his previously discarded clothing in a pile by his trunk, he sprawled out on top of his bed. He stared out the window by his lavish bed, watching the clouds roll by, nearly concealing the last bit of dim moonlight. ---  
  
Ginny lay across the bed, her glossy ruby locks cascading across her pillow. The nominal light from the crescent moon made her skin seem almost transparent. Her eyes were closed, veiled with her long eyelashes. For the first night in a few weeks, she was sound asleep.  
  
She didn't even make a move to acknowledge the faint click of the shutting door. She heard the calm footsteps that softly made their way across the floor. She sensed the curtains drawn aside letting the cool draft glide across her face. She felt his presence hovering over her. Then the whisper of an icy hand traced the smooth contour of her shoulder, slowly stealing down her arm, resting on her wrist, intertwining with her fingers. His soft lips glided across the surface of hers with his long sleek hair brushing her forehead. His touch sent fire through her veins as his light kisses were trailed down her jaw line. He lingered with his lips right near her ear and then in a voice almost inaudible he spoke.  
  
"I always thought you were the most beautiful girl in the world."  
  
She closed her eyes tighter, feeling his warmth for her. He smelled of cigarettes and summer rain. She could've stayed there forever, frozen in time, but then her roommate's Awakening Spell sent electric blue sparks off with a loud bang, depriving her of that extra moment of rest.  
  
A/N: I must give credit to the movie "Requiem for a Dream" for the line in Ginny's dream. I promise I'll get to the ball- it's coming up in the next chapter. And Kendall- you'll get to see Draco's reaction soon. 


	6. Chapter 6: Wintergreen with Envy

Through the Cracks: Part 6 Chapter 6: Wintergreen with Envy  
  
A/N: Thought I should add that the rest of the chapters will have info and spoilers from OotP, so if you don't want to know, I suggest you wait to continue reading. Though I'm quite overjoyed because my story fits with the actual plot. And sorry this took so long to get out, I got a bit carried away, and then I had to re-read and then we moved our office and I had to go to the doctor, and then it was my birthday, school, etc. blah. But here it is. Finally:  
  
Disclaimer: They're not mine. :sniff: though perhaps I can make a clone of Draco.. and name him .er. Draco2. how original.  
  
*** "I always thought you were the most beautiful girl in the world."  
  
She closed her eyes tighter, feeling his warmth for her. He smelled of cigarettes and summer rain. She could've stayed there forever, frozen in time, but then her roommate's Awakening Spell sent electric blue sparks off with a loud bang, depriving her of that extra moment of rest. ***  
  
"The heart has its reasons which reason does not understand." - Blaise Pascal  
  
Draco was on top of his covers, willing himself to sleep, only to find that even though he was tired, his mind kept racing. He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. He concentrated on the backs of his eyelids and the patterns of light that danced on them. He thought of his mother's necklace again. He was almost livid that Ginny Weasley was constantly in his thoughts. He was also furious of how she held captive the last memories of his mother. She couldn't even fathom how much the locket meant to Draco. He reopened his eyes, giving up any further attempts to rest. His vision edged slowly over the long jagged scars running up his arms.  
  
The lightest of them was merely a scratch from that hippogriff three years back.  
  
'That great dumb oaf and his stupid bird. thing. whatever,' he thought.  
  
However, there were marks: deeper and still quite fresh. Draco's eyes now burned darkly as he quickly turned to his other side, trying to push the thoughts away. ---  
  
"Damn."  
  
After the rude awakening spell had prevented her from returning to her dream, Ginny thought it best to get up. After all, she very well wasn't about to spend the whole day brushing her hair like everyone else in her year. Ginny thought it was a bit of overkill. Languidly drifting up from her bed she pulled on some soft gray frayed pants and one of Ron's quidditch practice shirts. Owing to Ron's latest injury, sustained in Gryffindor's last win against Ravenclaw, he wouldn't need them for a while.  
  
She swept the unruly mass of curls into a knot at the base of her neck and throwing her robes on over her clothes, she bounded down the stairs. By the time Ginny had reached the last step she spotted several lumpy figures conformed into the cushions of the large squashy armchairs. She could guess who they were. With a smirk she delightedly poked the nearest sleeping lump identifiable by his shock of red hair.  
  
"Oy! Er.. Whozit?!" Ron had several black streaks of ink smeared on his face as well as a spare quill floating aimlessly in his hair. As he lifted his head up, Ginny read a few lines imprinted on his freckled skin that said something about her brother sustaining massive head trauma from being cornered by a couple of flobberworm gangs in Knockturn Alley next Thursday. He had temporarily lost his sight in his left eye due to elbow-to-retina contact during Quidditch, so this flobberworm trouble was no big deal.  
  
'Head trauma? How's could you tell?' she thought. Then aloud she replied, "Just me. You do realize that in a few moments the entire house will know of this flobberworm mugging and we'll have to restrain Hermione from destroying Fuzzy."  
  
Ron looked confused and slightly sick. " 'S jus Divi...Divi." He yawned. "Divination. Whoz Fuzzzzer?"  
  
Ginny fought back a laugh. "Fuzzy is Hagrid's last flobberworm. From what I heard, the rest of them ended up as Grawp's last meal. But enough about Fuzzy, er, I'm going to just go get some breakfast. You might want to..." She paused, taking Ron's current state into consideration. "Well, you could take a shower. Yes. Or Something." She eyed the perched quill and stepped out of the portrait hole, not bothering to catch Ron slumping back over into the massive pillows.  
  
--- Rolling over onto his back, Draco groaned. He could already hear Pansy shrieking in the next room. Sometimes he wondered why he even struggled trying to remain in her good graces.  
  
'Honestly Father, it's just not worth it. Family pride and codes of conduct. I scoff in their general direction. Scoff, scoff. Scoff. Nice leather trousers, yes, but Pansy, no. I scoff once more.'  
  
Through the wall, the sound of her voice was magnified by the acoustics of the room and Draco heard his name pop in a few times. He squeezed his eyes shut, burying his head in the pillow.  
  
'No, No. It's too early.' He didn't care what time it was or even if Hogwarts was currently under siege of the Dark Lord, he was going back to sleep. 'Maybe if the Dark Lord did rain down fire and brimstone they would shut up and I would be able to get a moment's peace around here.'  
  
It seemed to Draco that he had previously drifted off to sleep just when Pansy decided to commence her usual yowling and screeching. He hadn't even blinked once during the night and definitely wasn't feeling his best. He knew what would happen if he closed his eyes. He sat up, rubbing his shoulders. The dungeons were deathly cold in the winter though it usually didn't bother him. He reached across his bed to snatch one of his robes from the hook. He shrugged it on and slowly walked towards a painting of some old Headmaster.  
  
'Phineas something or other,' thought Draco only half-reading the plaque below the frame. 'Funny old bloke. Right cracked in the head if you ask me. I wonder why he's so outstanding. I'm sure I could run around the school like an overgrown bat with hair pomade if I felt the urge to. I always wondered why Snape was so liberal with the Sleekeazy.' With a grin, he glanced back up at the canvas. It was blank. 'Off for a morning rendezvous with the Fat Lady I'm sure. Well, at least someone around here's getting laid.'  
  
He couldn't hear the low roar of the Common Room anymore and decided that they would've all gone to breakfast by now. 'Fuck 'em. Don't they know you have to have at least 6 hours of sleep in order to look obscenely gorgeous?' Draco's vanity was only outdone by his blank expressions. He worked on both quite a bit. Contrary to his usual conceit, at that particular moment, even Draco couldn't manage to hold his own gaze in the mirror. He was feeling quite ill; his vision was blurring and all of the ivory marble was blinding him. He felt for the wall to hold him steady. He could feel the heat rising in his chest, burning his lungs. He lurched towards the floor, retching violently. Draco could taste the copper of his blood as it colored his lips. He sat up, leaning against the wall and closed his eyes.  
  
---  
  
As she paused in the corridor, Ginny's laughter hardened and she bit her lip. She sighed and started to make a path towards the Great Hall. If the sight of hundreds of students all eating breakfast was sickening, the smell of the delicious foods was enough to make up for it. 'I wonder if Hermione knows she'd be giving all of the food up if she set all of the house elves free.' Ginny sat down next to Dean, making polite conversation and then absorbing herself with the fascinating pattern of the napkins. No matter how hard she tried, there was always the uncomfortable silence between them. Of course, there was nothing wrong with Dean. He was a perfectly nice guy. He was also surprised to find that Ginny was one of the only people he had not explained football to. He had shown her pictures of the West Ham team everyday. Everyday. She took a sip of some hot tea and lifted her gaze as three bodies clunked down around her.  
  
It looked as if Hermione had kindly gotten rid of Ron's facial divination though his face now appeared to be a similar shade to his hair. Hermione, herself, was well groomed as usual, although her bushy hair was crunched against her head on one side. Harry's arm brushed against her sleeve as he slumped onto the bench. He smiled his half-crooked grin as he flattened his hair. Ginny turned back to her almost empty mug.  
  
"Morning Gin," Hermione yawned over her juice. Ron was already fast asleep with his elbow in his porridge. His eye patch was flipped up on one side and somehow had an oblong smudge of strawberry jam on it. Breakfast continued as normal without interruption. Ginny couldn't help but notice the absence of a certain Slytherin with a penetrating stare.  
  
Even through the afternoon Ginny noted the lack of tension that she usually associated with Draco Malfoy. She was outside, deeply immersed in thought, when a ball of cold wet slush cut through her thoughts like a knife.  
  
"C'mon Gin, a seeker's got to have better reflexes than that!" Harry yelled across the pitch, at which Ginny scooped up a handful of snow and fired it back at him. "Dodge this one Harry!"  
  
What seemed like centuries later, the four of them trudged wearily back to Gryffindor Tower. Ginny was quite soggy as she plopped down on the rug by the fire. The heat melted the miniscule icicles that had formed on the ends of her curls. The heat washed over her face, the warmth slowly seeping through her damp clothes. She glanced at the grandfather clock in the corner of the room, which read a quarter till five.  
  
The portrait hole opened and several twittering figures rushed past Ginny as she sat motionless by the fire. Hermione had already gone up to her dorm to dry her hair and look over something in Hogwarts, A History. The two boys had gone to their room as well, which left Ginny alone trying to kill time. Her hair was becoming a springy ball of frizz as she stood up to finally assume her turn in shower rotation. After standing in line for what seemed like forever and silently enduring Lavender and Parvati's monotonous conversation (which, what a surprise, happened to be everyone's date for the ball and whether to wear pink or coral nail polish) she was able to take her shower and quickly retreat back to her room leaving a trail of water droplets behind her. She didn't have long if she was to meet Harry in the Common Room at ten till six.  
  
She kneeled by her trunk, undoing the latch. Her dress was neatly folded on top of her unruly pile of school robes. She pulled it out and laid it across her bed, smoothing the wrinkles in the soft velvet. After a moment of quiet observation, she donned the gown and stepped into a pair of black heels. She pointed her wand at her hair and muttered a drying spell; an instant later, her hair fell around her face in sumptuous waves. She toyed with it a bit but with another quick glimpse at the clock, she thought better of it.  
  
"Ten minutes, ten minutes. Oh gods." Ginny prattled on as her stomach did nervous flip-flops. She carefully walked over to her small dresser and applied a few cosmetic charms that lightly lined her eyes and lashes, as well as coloring her lips and cheekbones. As a finishing touch, she slipped the silver locket over her head and took a deep breath as she stepped out onto the landing. ----  
  
Draco had rested there on the floor for a few moments and then listlessly said a cleaning charm. His insides were torn up and set aflame simultaneously. He stepped into the shower, trying to get rid of the ominous feeling that seemed to cling to him. He thought it would have been best to just forget about breakfast as he turned off the water and trudged back to his room. Draco sat on the window ledge and observed the fresh blanket of snow that encompassed the grounds. He combed his fingers through his wet hair and noticed some other students initiating a high-impact snowball fight and vaguely wished he could be down there as well. He turned his back to the window and retrieved a small jar from the robes he had worn the previous day.  
  
While the rest of his year was out holiday shopping and downing butterbeer, Draco had set out with purpose. He had to retrieve a healing salve from one of his father's "clients". The fact that he had to involve a friend of his father's purely disgusted him, but he needed the liniment.  
  
Now he sat on his bed, the covers lay discarded on the stone floor. Draco tossed the jar in his hand. He had risked so much for this tiny little bottle that he had begun to question his sanity. He had nearly been caught returning from Knockturn Alley by Professor Snape and he was almost positive that his father would have gotten the news by now- news that his son was desperate for a healing balm to try and close the wounds all over his body, wounds that Lucius himself had inflicted.  
  
Draco opened the lid and spread the cold gel over his arms and across a few of his ribs. He shivered as he sprawled out on his bare mattress, deciding to rest up a bit before trying to resume being obscenely gorgeous. It was tough work, or so Draco liked to think. He picked up a stray blanket and drew the curtains around his bed, blocking out the light. Draco drifted out of consciousness easily this time with no distractions to deter his effort.  
  
He had a strange dream, though it was more of an intense feeling than an actual dream. It was so cold and held a sad air. Each breath he took was heavy in his lungs and he felt as though he had lost something dear to him. A cloaked figure was running around him and then it faded into a deep midnight blue. He suddenly felt almost uncomfortably warm and saw a brief flash of two breathtaking green eyes and then he woke up with a start.  
  
For a moment Draco was surprised to find he was awake so soon. His dream wasn't unpleasant, far from it. He rubbed his eyes and sat still for half a moment and then he groaned. He lifted up his lone blanket and cursed.  
  
"For fuck's sake. Not now! I'll have to take another goddamn shower, I'll be shriveled up by the ball tonight." He paused. "And that wouldn't be any fun, would it?" He grudgingly rolled off of his bed and returned to the shower. After ten minutes, Draco was sure he'd never been this clean in his life. He put on a pair of black leather trousers and caught sight of the time. 5:40 pm.  
  
"Damn, I didn't realize how long I was asleep. I could've gotten a nice shag in or done something productive. Well, at least I won't have to sit around here and find something to do. Maybe with these trousers I can get some satisfaction tonight. Mick Jagger, eat your heart out." He searched through his trunk and retrieved a fashionably wrinkled black dress shirt. After he put his shirt and shoes on, he ran his hands through his hair and stood in front of a mirror. Draco perfected his newfound tousled grace and reluctantly set out to find Pansy.  
  
---  
  
Ginny relaxed as much as she could on the windowsill of the Common Room. The sun was setting, casting an amber sheen over her skin. She heard the soft clicking of a door and then the rustling of robes. The footsteps stopped behind her and she turned around. She blushed scarlet as she fully took in the look on Harry's face.  
  
He must have not noticed that he was staring. Ginny smiled and gently reached up and closed his mouth.  
  
"Wow, Gin, you look." He rubbed the back of his neck in a nervous fashion. "You look great." It was only then that he dared look her in the eye.  
  
"Thanks Harry." She gently swished her dress from side to side. "So, are you ready to go?" He nodded and held out his arm. She lightly intertwined her arm with his and the pair set out to the Ball.  
  
---  
  
Draco had sidled up towards Pansy as she waited anxiously with her heaving bosom. She had curled her raven hair in wide heavy curls and seemed not to notice how offsetting it was when combined with her shocking pink gown. It resembled an ensemble she had once seen advertised in Witch Weekly depicting Barbara Eden of I Dream of Jeannie. What she had failed to detect was the preceding article on this season's most outrageous and semi-tacky muggle fashions.  
  
Draco raised an eyebrow and was about to speak when Pansy grabbed his arm and nearly jerked it out of its socket.  
  
"Oh Draco, dahling," she cooed. "Must we wait any longer? I can't wait to spend the entire night. Alone, with you."  
  
Draco didn't dare mention how it was quite impossible to be "alone" together. And even if he did want to be alone with someone, it probably wasn't about to be her.  
  
"Alright. Let's go then." He stared straight ahead as she clung to his arm in desperation and the two of them made their way up the stairs to the Great Hall. ---  
  
The teachers had outdone themselves with their decorations, which graced every square inch of the Great Hall. A light snowfall was drifting lazily from the ceiling, as well as tiny fairies that flitted among the crowd. There were huge pine trees laced with dew and gave off the smell of spice tea and cider. Tiny indestructible bubbles spouted from the punch bowl and mistletoe was strategically placed every few inches. Ginny couldn't have imagined a lovelier place in the world. She and Harry had arrived after spending the entire walk in silence. Her blush was quite persistent and Harry never seemed to be able to string more than two words together thus far. They approached a group of familiar faces and Harry started to lighten up a bit. What Ginny didn't quite realize was that by now the usual wave of attention that clung to Harry was now focused upon her. Many of the students were wondering who Potter's beautiful escort was, after all now only a handful of them actually knew about the whole incident with the Chamber of Secrets. She swept back a stray wisp of hair and smiled at Ron, Hermione, and the others. She shuddered as a cold chill fluttered down her back. ---  
  
Draco and Pansy entered the Hall with less bravado than The Boy Who Lived and his date, but still not without significant recognition. Most girls in the school, even those who despised Draco as a person, swooned as he swaggered past them. Every one of them noticed how the leather trousers were slung low on his hips and the black linen shirt rode up every few seconds, revealing a pale hint of midriff. Not to mention his sultry silver eyes and perfect lips; the list goes on. Draco was a sex idol amongst his year and had never for a second even doubted his status.  
  
He walked over to his crowd, with Pansy trotting along in tow. He wasn't really keen on being "alone together" with her at all, so he decided to bring in the distraction of others. Blaise and Malcolm were occupying the same seat and it seemed that Malcolm was enjoying the benefits that came with being employed as a chair. Crabbe and Goyle had, per usual, shown up stag. And although Crabbe kept stealing a few glances at Millicent, not much was to become of this ill matched couple for as it turned out, she had the hots for Professor Grubbly-Plank. Draco's plan worked marvelously and Pansy was enthralled in some aspect of conversation soon after their arrival.  
  
Draco leaned absentmindedly against the wall. He arched his back, stretching his arms to reveal a great portion his flawless abdomen, sending a fair number of fourth years of all houses into hysterics. He was already quite bored and with lidded eyes began to survey the crowds of people.  
  
'Let's see now. Aw, only 15 fainted down at the Ravenclaw end. I might have to unbutton the shirt a bit to work on that.' He hummed to himself. 'And the Hufflepuffs seem identical tonight, so I'd suppose that it's not worth my time. I've got the rest of the Slytherins covered, annnnnnnnd now let's see about those Muggle loving idiots in Gryffindor.' Draco cast his gaze over near the punch bowl where Harry Potter was loitering with his jolly crew. His eyes flickered over the form of Ginny Weasley, immediately scanning her neckline for signs of the locket. And there it was, shining amid the shadowed folds of her dress. Then, Draco was transfixed upon her smiling face, laughing with Potter and her brother. He studied the curvature of her body, how the dark fabric seemed to envelope her. He suddenly felt a warm sensation in the southern part of his body and he twitched almost inconspicuously. Almost.  
  
"Draco! Yooo-hoooo! Darling, you must have dozed off for a moment there," Pansy was fawning over him, displaying more than needed as she pressed herself to him.  
  
Draco shook his head and faked a cough. "Ah, yeah. Sorry. Well. Say, who wants some punch? I'm going to go get some punch. Back in a minute." He finished this sentence without room for argument; all the while keeping his eyes on Ginny. He made his way towards the punch bowl, avoiding the glowing bubbles and dance invitations from a few handsome Ravenclaw boys. He picked up a glass and dipped himself some punch. After a moment, he noticed it was spiked. Nevertheless, he enjoyed it and sipped away casually while assuming a cat-like pose against a pillar. ---  
  
"Yeah, Gin, couldn't you have gone with the tarp? I mean, you look nice and all, but isn't it a bit," Ron paused as Hermione nudged him in the ribs. "Er.never mind the dress is lovely." Ginny smiled. She had been running out of things to say, especially since Ron and Hermione were desperate to sneak off for an illicit Yule snog but had politely decided to remain until midnight. She hated to make them waste their night. Lord knows they needed the snog. She spoke up after a few minutes. "You know, I'm getting kind of thirsty. Does anyone else want anything while I'm over there?" They all shook their heads. Seamus shot Ginny a wry grin and winked as she turned to leave. She smoothed the waistline of her gown as she approached the bubbling punch bowl. She was reaching for a cup when she heard a familiar drawl somewhere near her right shoulder.  
  
"So your finest jewelry is some old piece of tin? What a disgrace, Weasley." Draco nonchalantly blocked her path with his trademark sneer. Internally, his stomach was in knots and he prayed that she couldn't read his thoughts. "You'd never guess your family was of pure blood by the way you lot dress."  
  
Ginny raised her head slightly and met his gaze with a cold glare of her own. It chilled Draco. He had never seen Ginny look this way before. In all truth, he found it quite sexy, but this wasn't the best time for that. "What do you want, Malfoy." It wasn't a question and judging by the way she spat out his name she was planning on cursing him with a horrid case of boils in a mere matter of seconds. But Draco wasn't thinking of curses or boils, in fact, he was observing how when she was upset, Ginny Weasley pursed her lips much like her mother, only she had a soft full lower lip that sent an entirely different, yet pleasing sensation through Draco's entire body.  
  
He cleared his throat. "I.uh." It wasn't like Malfoy's to stutter, let alone lose their complete control of a situation. He cleared his throat once more. "I thought it best for you to know that it seems your date has found another more favorable companion." He nodded towards Harry who was now speaking quite animatedly with Cho Chang.  
  
Ginny shot him another look of pure venom. Draco wondered if even the slightest bit of Tom Riddle rubbed off on her three years back. "Glad to know that you're still able to see, Malfoy. I would've thought all your excessive wanking would've made you blind by now." She left him standing there, his mouth forming words without sound.  
  
Draco was quite stunned by Ginny's use of obscenity and intellect. He seemed almost happy that at least someone had a fair amount of wit on their side, almost enough to rival his own. 'And she doesn't even know what these hands can do when properly motivated,' he thought to himself. ---  
  
Ginny's face was flushed as she brushed past Malfoy. 'Ugh. What nerve! That insipid bastard!' She was still partially hidden behind a large Christmas tree nearing Harry, and then she heard a part of the conversation that made her stop dead in her tracks.  
  
Cho was laughing lightly at something stupid and Harry, with his back to Ginny, didn't notice her presence, though Ginny was positive that Cho knew she was there. "So," Cho batted her eyes in a mock-innocent manner. "I hear that you're dating Ron Weasley's little sister now?" A small grin played across her lips.  
  
Harry was mussing with his hair once more. "Oh, No, No. Not at all. Really. I'm taking her as a favor for Ron. She's more of a little sister to me as well, so there couldn't be any. well no; we're not like that.. Er... How's Rodger?"  
  
At these words Ginny stepped out from behind the tree, eyes brimming with tears. Ron and Hermione now detected her presence and Hermione bit her lip as the situation dawned on her. Ron looked nearly furious and he gave Harry a meaningful look, nodding towards the tree. Cho had been about to answer him when Harry caught sight of his friend's face. He whipped around to face Ginny and once he noticed the look on her fragile face, he tried profusely to apologize.  
  
"Ginny! Look. I. I..Wait!" Harry never finished the sentence. Ginny had turned, rushing past Draco once more towards the open doors that led to the enchanted garden.  
  
A/N: the Mick Jagger reference-Draco wouldn't exactly know who Mick is, but I suppose Mick could be a wizard with the power to slow down the aging process or create Blistex. Haha. And please review J I've nearly got the next chapter halfway through, so criticism is widely appreciated as well. 


End file.
